A hero fighter pilot, an aviation pioneer
Alexander de Seversky
May 24, 1894, Tiflis , Russian Empire (now Tbilisi, Georgia) – September 24, 1974, New York, USA
Alexander de Seversky (Александр Николаевич Прокофьев-Северский) – Russian and American inventor, aircraft designer. During WWI Seversky was one of the most well-known and highly decorated Russian fighter pilots. He was awarded the Order of St. George, including the Gold Sword for Bravery, the highest military distinction of the Russian Empire, which was given to him by the head of the Russian Provisional Government Alexander Kerensky, After the October Revolution Seversky moved to United States, where he worked as a consultant to the US Government. He founded the Seversky Aero Corp. (1922) and Seversky Aircraft Company (1931, subsequently Republic Aviation Corp.) that developed several fighter planes including SEV-3, P-35, 2PA (A8V). Seversky received the Medal for Merit in 1945 from President Harry Truman and the Exceptional Service Medal in 1969 in recognition of his service as a special consultant to the Chiefs of Staff of the USAF. Seversky authored a bestseller “Victory Through Air Power”. Seversky taught in the Aviation university, was a member of several scientific societies and pilot associations.
In memory of exceptional person we publish several materials including and article about him “Russian Aircraft Designer & Founder of Republic Aviation”, shot movie about his life and contribution to aviation and a Walt Disney animation film based on the Seversky book.
Russian Aircraft Designer & Founder of Republic Aviation
By Stephen Sherman, Oct. 2003. Updated April 16, 2012
“Pilot, inventor, designer, businessman, and visionary author, Alexander de Seversky led one of the most varied lives of his times. Born a Russian nobleman, he served in the Czarist naval air service, survived the Civil War, emigrated to the United States, started a great aircraft company, lost control of it, and ended up being best-remembered for writing Victory Through Air Power.
Alexander Nikolaivich Prokofiev de Seversky was born June 7, 1894, in Tiflis, Russia (now Georgia).
When Alexander entered the Imperial Russian Naval Academy at age 14, he already knew how to fly, as his father had been one of the first Russians to own a plane. He graduated in 1914 with an engineering degree and was serving at sea as a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy of Russia when World War I began….” Follow this link to read the full story.
Flying Through Time
A short movie about Alexander P. de Seversky
Victory Through Air Power
1943 Walt Disney film based on the book of the same name by Alexander P. de Seversky